Week #7 Letter

11-9-15
"Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet emooooooooooooooooootion" mini preparation day
today! We did normal morning routine until 11 and did laundry, got my
winter boots from Macy's, had bible tea for the first time(milk based,
not tea based), went shopping at target, and came back and ate lunch.
Went knocking at Whitestone is a rich area so lots of big homes but
not a lot of answers during the day. Went back to the apartment and
ate dinner, went contacting, and went back to the church to learn how
to use the AreaBook app since I can now start using it. It is
basically every tool missionaries have piled into an app on the iPad.
Key indicators, plans, area book, anything and it is in the app.
11-10-15
"It's my life! My heart is like an open highway" today was awesome. To
start off, elder Reese went to the temple for his 6 month anniversary.
I went on exchanges. So I was with elder law and we were going to go
to his area, Jamaica, until he took someone's keys and we had to go
back. We stayed there and emailed till we got hungry and went to the
local mall. I had chipotle for lunch!!! My favorite. We walked around
and we went into the Lego store, Disney store, and the Apple Store.
Went back to the mission office, emailed some more, wrote my letter
until 2 elders came in. The were in a crash earlier today and were
reporting it to a senior elder who is in charge of the vehicles. They
had to take it to the shop so in order to get back, they had to take
two cars and needed two more elders. So we tagged along. I went with
an elder who trained elder Reese a few months ago. They didn't get
along as well so the elder never gave elder Reese his posterity tie.
After the drive, he will give me the posterity toe though as I am
being trained by elder Reese. He also said I would be a great leader
from him knowing me for 20 min. I would be in a leadership position in
3 transfers he thinks and the spirit was so strong right then that I
knew he wasn't kidding. He said other things that were uplifting and
stated what my purpose is and why I am in Flushing. It is a little
more personal so I won't tell it here but I know it is true. He is an
awesome elder and I hope to have him as a companion some day. Then
elder Reese came back, we went back to flushing, got dinner at the
apartment, then went contacting. Finally, we went to see a less active
that we have been working with and he is really making progress
finally and we taught him about the Holy Ghost. Today was awesome and
I know the Lord had me right where I needed to be to hear those words
from the elder today.
11-11-15
"It's celebration that'll last throughout the year. So bring your good
times and your laughter too. We gonna celebrate your party with you.
Come on now celebration!" No real reason to celebrate but it is what
popped into my head. Today was fairly boring. We had district meeting
and went contacting afterwards with no luck in teaching anyone. Had
dinner and went to visit a less active. Taught him about the spirit
world as he has had a relative pass away in 2012. Then our other two
appointments we had tonight, the person didn't show up at their house.
So lots of walking and bus rides for nothing really but it was fun.
Always love riding the bus.
11-12-15
"I bought my first real six string. Bought at the five and dime.
Played it till my fingers bled. Was the summer of 69' " Today was a
good day. We first got a referral today in the morning of a less
active that is in our area. So we contacted him and set up an
appointment tonight. We also had 2 lessons on the street while street
contacting to reach our goal for the day. And we achieved our goal of
a referral received and contacted today. We made all our goals for the
first time ever that I have been here. Then we had that appoint,went
tonight. When we got there, we found out the parents are converts to
the church and they were baptized in 2010. They were baptized in Utah
and then moved out here to New York 3 years ago. But they didn't go to
church here. The kids know nothing of the church. So the family has
been meaning to get missionaries over there because they said they are
struggling as a family and needed to get back to church again. So they
made it happen. Elder Reese and I basically taught the kids though as
the parents already know all of this and they say they know it is
true. So that was interesting as that was the first time I taught 2
kids the Restoration. We gave them a pamphlet and just explained
pictures. Next time we are giving them the kids Book of Mormon full of
pictures. But it was really fun and they want to come to church on
Sunday. So excited!
11-13-15
Friday the 13th. Today was a crazy day cause none of our plans
happened really. We had zone training today and we gave a workshop in
it. We talked about the importance of planning and I felt like it was
a good lesson. I loved it and teaching it:) then we were planning to
go contacting but then we got a call to help a member move. So we went
over there and helped them move and they fed us pizza:) we had an
appointment at 8 with a less active we have been working with. By the
way, we are working with 2 less actives before yesterday and now
working with a third one as of yesterday. But then he cancelled on us
and so we went to the church to plan some lessons and found out that
our AreaBook app doesn't work. We weren't allowed to even open the app
and it says it is made by a nontrusted developer. So we can't plan,
look up members or investigators, or see our goals. So frustrating and
it has slowly been getting worse this week as it started monday with a
couple small problems. Now it is useless. But then a member called
during daily planning tonight and said he had groceries for us. It is
the same one that gave us groceries my first week here. He gave us 2
gallons of milk, 2 loafs of bread, a dozen eggs, cheese, 4 boxes of
cereal, yogurt, and 2 jars of peanut butter. We don't have to go
shopping for much on Monday now:)
11-14-15
"S.E.I.Z.E S as in seize, E as in eggs, I as in I don't know, Z as in
zebra, E as in..." Pretty o.k. day today. Studies and lunch then went
to take food from last night to the Spanish elders. They were at the
church though, locked in a room. They were there for a couple hours
but only realized they were locked in for the last 20 min when they
tried to leave to go get lunch. They made a blog of their survival in
there which was funny to see as they had ties around their foreheads,
belts around their necks, jackets around their heads. They were ready
for survival of the fittest it looked like. AreaBook app works when
not on church wifi so we went to the library to fix it. Went knocking
in Whitestone and Auburndale with no luck. Had dinner and then went to
visit the family whom we taught the kids basically tonight and
continued with talking about Jesus. Had to leave to go to another
appointment with the less active that canceled on us last night only
to get there and he called and canceled on us again. So not the best
day but a fun day none the less.
11-15-15
"What are we doing down here?" "We are waiting, I am smoking." Today
was a good day. We had that family we taught last night come to church
today and also a couple from somewhere. We didn't know who they were
or how they knew to come to church at that time and they spoke Chinese
and English a little. But we had a lot of people attend sacrament
meeting!! More than usual anyways. Then we had correlation after
church and we actually stayed the entire time since we didn't have an
appointment to go to. Then we met a high schooler on the street while
contacting who said he wanted to repent and come closer to Jesus
Christ. So we said we can help and he was supper excited for it and
grateful for us being there. So cool to see how the Lord works and
when we plan specifically, He provides His children fro us to teach.
That was what we taught on Friday at zone training. Then the Halal
street vendor gave us free soda again like he does every Sunday. I
love him:)

Hi y'all. So the AreaBook is a good tool that the Lord has placed in
our hands and it is awesome... When it works. It crashed on Friday as
you all read and it took a while to get it back. But now we have it
and can know what we are doing this week.

Some funny things. 1. When we go knocking, about 3/4 of the people
either yell through the door or through a near by window. They almost
never answer the door. Also, the homes here aren't homes for 1 family.
They all have 2 separate homes for 2 different families and 1 is on
top floor, the other is on the bottom floor. Never just one big home.

Starting March 1, 2016. All missionaries speaking their native
language will be going to the MTC for 3 weeks. Not like me and for 12
days!!!

Something I don't like about being a missionary is dropping people. I
feel like we abandon a child of our Heavenly Father and that we will
be responsible for their eternal salvation at the day of judgement. I
know that sounds a little extreme but that is what I feel! These are
children of our loving Heavenly Father, not a baptismal statistic as
Elder Holland puts it.

I wanted to reflect on my ponderize scripture this week. It was Moroni
10-32 for those of you that forgot. I encourage you to read it now
before you read on.

Here is what I got from it this week. Grace means help and strength.
With the help and strength of the Lord as we strive to be perfect as
Christ was perfect, we will have spiritual experiences and have the
spirit with us to where we can in no wise deny the power of God.
Meaning we will have amazingly spiritual experiences in this life. If
we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and strive to be perfect in
Christ though.

This was a great week and had some great days and some boring days as
well, but that is the mission. You are there to always be available to
those that need you and are worthy enough to have the spirit guide you
on where you need to be, what you need to say, and what invitations
are needed for them to progress. I feel like I am starting to really
adjust and I found the true meaning of how missionaries are in the
world but not of it. I found it out this last weekend when we found
out that there had been an attack on Paris.

Love you all and I will see you in the next email. Bu-bye!

-Elder Heaton


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